What We Stand For

Knowing what values IDEA stands for is crucial -- otherwise we risk becoming everything and nothing. Our values distinguish us from others. It is important to us that you know what we stand for. We stand for the following core values:

1. Humility

It is not enough merely to present a new framework for education. We must engage with others in conversation, and we must be humble enough to know that we don't have all the answers.

2. Positivity

We must not simply react to current educational initiatives with negativity. We must be creative in brainstorming new solutions to old problems and focus on what could be, not what has been or is today.

3. People and Story at the Center of our Work

People on the front lines of a challenge will almost always have the most recent and accurate information about how to solve a problem.

People communicate through stories. They are at the heart of everything important because they are the best way to be heard and to make sense of things. It's important to be unafraid of emotion. It's not sappy. It's what makes people care.

4. Practical Action

We will not be effective without directed coordinated action . . . and a sense of humor. When in doubt, stop planning and start doing. OK, not always. Plan for the money.

We can begin to build something together by choosing a manageable, concrete project to build on, even when it doesn't seem world-changing.

We assume that multiple strategies are needed to accomplish our mission.

5. Collaboration

Groups are the most natural unit of work. Our intention is that every group in our organization is going to be an extraordinary one.

We are much more interested in collaborating with other education-focused organizations than competing with them.

6. Learning From Failure

Innovation requires experimentation and failure. We are going to get it wrong sometimes. Sometimes we will get it right. Wrong or right, some people will not like what we do. We are committed to learning in public.

7. Embracing Difference & Conflict

Conflict is our best ally. Concerns are the fuel of better solutions. It takes courage to speak a problem, and maybe more to really hear one. We won't get anywhere if we can't find that kind of courage.

We must find ways to bring together people who think differently and might seem like “enemies.” Those differences bring great strength.

8. Intergenerational Education for Human Rights

Every child has the right to be meaningfully involved in their learning and possess the tools to create and live in a more just, deeply democratic, and sustainable world. We value youth understanding the history, culture, ecosystem, and stories as they connect to their local communities. Connecting to our location and being rooted to a sense of place is important.

Our efforts must be intergenerational. Culture can be transformed when three generations or more are present.

9. Public Education for Access to Power

"Public” does not necessarily equal “government-sponsored.” No matter how we slice it, we need public education: education that is by the people, of the people, and for the people.

Hard skills like reading, writing, math, and science are important because in the current reality they provide our youth and their families with access to real resources and power.

10. Assessments of Quality

It is essential to talk about quality and to sort out what works and what doesn't. A project with a neat website and two students should not be showcased at the same level as a school getting it done with 300 students for the last 15 years.

Not all people are good spokespeople for our movement. We must highlight our best and most diverse voices for transformative educational change.

11. Directness and Transparency

We must be blunt. We don't have time to waste and need to practice being respectfully direct.